Marching in step

[Robert Vermaat]

FLAVI VEGETI RENATI VIRI INLUSTRIS COMITIS
EPITOMA REI MILITARIS LIBRI IIII

Liber I.ix:
Primis ergo meditationum auspiciis tirones militarem edocendi sunt gradum. Nihil enim magis in itinere uel in acie custodiendum est, quam ut omnes milites incedendi ordinem seruent. Quod aliter non potest fieri, nisi assiduo exercitio ambulare celeriter et aequaliter discant. Periculum enim ab hostibus semper grauissimum sustinet diuisus et inordinatus exercitus. Militari ergo gradu XX milia passuum horis quinque dumtaxat aestiuis conficienda sunt. Pleno autem gradu, qui citatior est, totidem horis XXIIII milia peragenda sunt. Quicquid addideris, iam cursus est, cuius spatium non potest definiri.
The first thing the soldiers are to be taught is the military step, which can only be acquired by constant practice of marching quick and together. Nor is anything of more consequence either on the march or in the line than that they should keep their ranks with the greatest exactness. For troops who march in an irregular and disorderly manner are always in great danger of being defeated. They should march with the common military step twenty miles in five summer-hours, and with the full step, which is quicker, twenty-four miles in the same number of hours. If they exceed this pace, they no longer march but run, and no certain rate can be assigned.

Liber I.xxvii:
Decem milia passuum armati instructique omnibus telis pedites militari gradu ire ac redire iubebantur in castra, ita ut aliquam itineris partem cursu alacriore conficerent.
The foot were obliged to march completely armed the distance of ten miles from the camp and return, in the most exact order and with the military step which they changed and quickened on some part of the march.

Liber II.xxiii:
Ceteris autem etiam hibernis diebus, si niues tantum pluuiaeque cessarent, exerceri cogebantur in campo, ne intermissa consuetudo et animos militum debilitaret et corpora. Siluam caedere, portare onera, transilire fossas, natare in mari siue fluminibus, gradu pleno ambulare uel currere etiam armatos cum sarcinis suis frequentissime conuenit, ut cotidiani laboris usus in pace difficilis non uideatur in bello.
But even in winter, if it did not rain or snow, they were obliged to perform their drills in the field, lest an intermission of discipline should affect both the courage and constitution of the soldier. In short, both legionary and auxiliary troops should continually be drilled in cutting wood, carrying burdens, passing ditches, swimming in the sea or in rivers, marching in the full step and even running with their arms and baggage, so that, inured to labor in peace, they may find no difficulty in war.